Should San Francisco Giants Fans Hold Their Breath With Brandon Belt?

Brandon Belt has had a stellar start to the 2018 season. The San Francisco Giants have relied on him as a source of power in a lineup that lacks pop.

However, as we’ve seen before with Belt, hot starts can be derailed by slumps or injuries. So, should Giants fans be concerned that this year will be the same?

Last year was supposed to be Belt’s break-out year. He was hitting the ball well and was leading the team with a career-high 18 home runs before a concussion derailed his year. There were concerns over the off-season as to just how much the concussion (his fourth) would affect him not just on the field, but off it as well.

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I can’t speak to his off-the-field life, but it’s clear that on the field this year he’s been the Brandon Belt we’ve always dreamed of. Currently, he’s on track to be an All-Star for the second time in his career, the other time coming in 2016.

Of course, despite Belt’s outstanding year, there are those who still complain about him for taking pitches or whatever else he does that sticks in their craw. Some Giants fans really like to pin things on Belt when things go bad, so don’t be surprised if that’s the case should he go cold for a month.

Let us hope that’s not the case though. The taller of the two Brandons deserves a full year unmarred by injury to really show the league what he’s capable of.

I’m sure that part of the reason he’s had this success is the chip on his shoulder due to being overlooked and criticized for much of his career. Great athletes like Tom Brady use that to their advantage, so it’s nice to see Belt proving the naysayers wrong so far this year.

I think as long as Belt can stay healthy, he’ll continue to have a solid year. Even if he does have a full solid year, there will still be those who doubt him and say he was a flash in the pan, but that may be a good thing. He’ll need that added motivation for next year too.